


To Justify the Means

by tonight_aliv



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! GX
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-09
Updated: 2014-09-09
Packaged: 2018-02-16 16:58:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2277582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tonight_aliv/pseuds/tonight_aliv
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"I… I don’t think I meant to fall asleep here."</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Judai's 1st

**Author's Note:**

> If I'm being completely honest here, this is a thundershipping twins and selfshipping twins postapocalyptic AU multichapter fic with abundant POV shifts. There will be abundant mention of gang violence, supernatural abilities, politics, and dumb teenage boys. Jun and Judai are taken from manga canon, while Chazz and Haou are taken from anime canon.
> 
> Do not expect timely updates.  
> Originally posted on tumblr, Jan 19th, 2013.

I… I don’t think I meant to fall asleep here.

I mean, the couch is comfortable enough and the pillows are fluffy. I’m accustomed to a lot worse, really. But I thought I’d be awake when he got home from wherever he is. Maybe I can still make it, maybe he’s still not home yet, and I can—

My next breath carries the hint of cologne and soy sauce.

Well, crap.

Opening my eyes only reawakens the sharp pain in my side, and I close them instantly. I really hope that didn’t reopen while I slept, while I wasn’t paying any attention to it. Infections aren’t a problem— Yubel could probably scare that stuff off with nothing more than a glare— but blood probably doesn’t accessorize well with the upholstery.

A laugh that isn’t mine echoes in my mind at that thought, and warmth eases through the pain at the sound. Gentle, comforting, weightless, and it spreads all through me.

I love making Yubel laugh.

"Stop grinning like an idiot and look at me," he whispers, though I have no idea why he’s whispering. Same old Chazz, I guess.

The pain is easier to ignore this time, but when I get a good look at Chazz’s thin face, I’m not sure which of us is supposed to have the huge gash in his side.

I try to rework the smile on my face, but it makes his patience wear thin. He has always been really difficult to placate, though. It’s probably not helping that I’m here in the first place, after months of no contact, sleeping and bleeding and laughing on his couch.

"Hey Chazz," is all I can think to say, and even that little bit moves everything around enough to bring the pain back in full-force, "sorry about… falling asleep…"

"Keep  _quiet_ ,” he about snarls back, and the interruption catches me off guard, “I  _just_  got Jun to fall asleep, and I’ll be damned if your loud mouth wakes him up—”

He’s hesitating now, but I can’t bring myself to say anything. His wording, his frustration… my breaths are deeper and more deliberate now, and damn does it hurt.

But… Manjoume’s  _here_? He  _saw me_?

Under the heavy blanket that covers my entire body, I start shaking. Shivering. I can’t stop it. What have I done? Why did I fall asleep? Why did Manjoume have to be at Chazz’s apartment?

I knew this would be hard. I knew this was a stupid idea. I just need to find Haou, and if anyone knows where my asshole of an older brother is, it’s Chazz…

"If you’re just going to sit there and freak out, then let me talk to Yubel," he says as my hands move to hide my face.

And when Yubel leaves with Chazz, the warmth from earlier remains, but it has morphed into something that claws at my insides and makes my face flush and my eyes water.

There’s a goddamn reason I’m staying away from Manjoume. There’s a reason I haven’t talked to him in months and a reason why I keep running away from him.

Why is Jun  _here_.


	2. Jun's 2nd

You’re awake again. Turning onto your side does nothing to help you fall back asleep. And before you know it, he’s back in your head. No matter how hard you press your palms into your eyes, you still see him on Chazz’s couch, asleep and hurt, breathing calm and steady now that you’ve thrown a blanket over him. 

You stand suddenly, swiftly, not entirely sure what you’re doing, but maybe you’ll fall asleep if you see him again. Just one more time.

The apartment is quiet, and you’re more than a little thankful that Chazz isn’t still up. You’ve worried him enough with how strangely you acted a few hours ago, and even though you know he understands, you don’t really want to talk to him right now.

The apartment is still, the main room especially so, and you’re a little put-off when you realize that there’s no light snoring. Come to think of it, when you found him on the couch earlier, he wasn’t making any noise. It’s strange, you think as you hug your arms over your chest and move toward the couch.

He’s still sleeping there, the blanket’s still draped over him, and you spot his red jacket and dark shirt on the floor by his head. They stand out in this darkness. You take care not to touch them when you kneel on the floor, but you don’t know why. It takes you a moment too long to realize that Chazz must have dressed that ugly gash in his side, the one that you couldn’t take your wide eyes off of before.

You’re glad he’s asleep. You’re glad that you can watch over him for a bit, the idiot that he is. You’re glad he won’t see you like this, how worried fucking sick he makes you.

A sound from behind you, worn boots shifting in the silence, make you jump, and you turn toward the source without thinking.

A deep chuckle, then, “I was starting to wonder when you would notice me.”

You turn back toward Judai, a hand rubbing at your left eye as you try to work the slight embarrassment out of your face. You can hear him walking toward you now, and you try your best to act passive and uninterested under his golden gaze. It’s difficult, but you manage, like you usually do.

"I wasn’t expecting to see Judai so soon. I’m sure you weren’t either, huh?"

The question was loaded with intrigue and barely disguised implications, and had you been sitting here in any other situation, you surely would have punched his lights out for that one.

"What do you want, Haou?" you whisper, your fatigue and your fears showing through a bit in your voice. You bite back a curse at the realization, not really up to Haou’s teasing right now.

For some reason he ignores it, sounding just as tired, “Chazz finally texts me back to say that my brother is bleeding on his fucking couch and asking about me. I text the guy for weeks on-end, changing the number every so often because it used to be funny when he didn’t know it was me, but now he always knows it’s me. Now he knows, no matter what the number is, and he doesn’t reply. He just reads them and ignores them.

"But tonight he finally texts back, knowing that it’s me, knowing that I haven’t changed numbers yet, and only says that my fuck-up of a brother is bothering him."

He’s laughing now, and you’re glad that it’s not  _you_  that he’s so fixated on.

There’s a long and increasingly uncomfortable pause as you both watch Judai sleep. You notice that he’s starting to shift uncomfortably in his sleep, on the verge of waking up, and you decide that now would be a wonderful time to go back to bed.

Before you can fully stand, he has opened his eyes. He’s looking at you, only you, and it’s only now that you notice that his cheeks are tear-stained, that his eyes are rubbed raw and his face is a bit red.

You have no idea how long you stare at him, how long he stares up at you with wide eyes, how long you both hold your breaths in the darkness, but when Haou clears his throat, you practically run back to the spare bedroom, and you’re still not entirely sure why.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> originally posted on Jan 21st, 2013.


	3. Haou's 0th

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> originally posted to tumblr on Feb 22nd, 2013.

>I’m still amazed that you agreed to help the idiot.  
[ _unlisted number; 04:13:02_ ]

>The steak in your fridge was delicious, by the way.  
[ _unlisted number; 04:37:20_ ]

>I should visit you more often. You’ve got a nice place.  
[ _unlisted number; 04:41:54_ ]

>I’m sure you’d like that, wouldn’t you?  
[ _unlisted number; 04:43:06_ ]

>Better than my dumbass brother, that’s for sure.  
[ _unlisted number; 04:44:23_ ]

>I take no responsibility for him, by the way. I don’t care if he’s broke as shit, I’m not getting you a new couch.  
[ _unlisted number; 04:46:01_ ]

>stop fucking texting me. do you realize what time it is?  
[ _Princeton, Chazz; 04:46:58_ ]

>Two replies in one day! What have I done to deserve this high honor?  
[ _unlisted number; 04:48:29_ ]

>… and that’s when you reply that I need to shut the fuck up, Chazzy.  
[ _unlisted number; 04:53:09_ ]

>Don’t fucking ignore me.  
[ _unlisted number; 04:58:46_ ]

>Listen here bitch.  
[ _unlisted number; 05:02:08_ ]

>Answer me, you little whore.  
[ _unlisted number; 05:03:54_ ]

>You piece of shit. Why did you text me, anyway?  
[ _unlisted number; 05:07:19_ ]

>I thought you hated Judai.  
[ _unlisted number; 05:09:37_ ]

>Jealous, Haou?  
[ _Princeton, Chazz; 05:12:13_ ]

>I’m going to rip out your fucking throat you sniveling little dick.  
[ _unlisted number; 05:15:09_ ]

>I’ll take that as a “yes, very jealous”.  
[ _Princeton, Chazz; 05:16:47_ ]

>… why did you help him.  
[ _unlisted number; 05:19:04_ ]

>What else was I going to do.  
[ _Princeton, Chazz; 05:25:28_ ]

>Throw him out on the street where he belongs.  
[ _unlisted number; 05:26:55_ ]

>He’s your brother, you asshole.  
[ _Princeton, Chazz; 05:29:12_ ]

>fuck that noise  
[ _unlisted number; 05:30:08_ ]

>… okay, fine. Thank you, dearest Chazzy-poo, for sheltering and caring for my only little brother, for he is so dear to me, as the only family I have left, and I don’t know what I would do without him. Happy?  
[ _unlisted number; 05:48:09_ ]

>You’re disgusting.  
[ _Princeton, Chazz; 05:51:56_ ]

>I try.  
[ _unlisted number; 05:53:07_ ]

>How’s Jun.  
[ _unlisted number; 06:03:59_ ]

>Like you care…  
[ _Princeton, Chazz; 06:05:13_ ]

>restless, but asleep.  
[ _Princeton, Chazz; 06:11:43_ ]

>Do both of you know why Judai wanted to talk to me?  
[ _unlisted number; 06:18:09_ ]

>You do, but Jun doesn’t, huh.  
[ _unlisted number; 06:25:56_ ]

>… Which means that Jun loves him and worries about him blindly. That’s new. I can relate.  
[ _unlisted number; 06:43:05_ ]

>Like hell you can relate. You’re nothing more than a stalker with a bad attitude who makes the wrong people insatiably angry.  
[ _Princeton, Chazz; 06:46:29_ ]

>… was the “insatiably” part really necessary this early in the morning?  
[ _unlisted number; 06:54:05_ ]

>If you knew the first thing about love, you wouldn’t put the person you had feelings for in danger just by fucking texting them random snipets of your life every once in a while. If you were really in love, you wouldn’t want anything to do with me until you cleared up this mess with the people who want to kill you and everyone who knows you, starting with your goddamn demon-possessed brother.  
[ _Princeton, Chazz; 07:08:10_ ]

>now stop fucking texting me.  
[ _Princeton, Chazz; 07:12:36_ ]

>And what exactly makes you think I’m in love with you?  
[ _unlisted number; 07:38:45_ ]

>I’m the only one you talk to, dumbass.  
[ _Princeton, Chazz; 08:19:44_ ]

>I’ll be at 5th and Haight St., waiting.  
[ _unlisted number; 08:43:17_ ]

>Don’t make me wait for you any longer, Chazz.  
[ _unlisted number; 10:49:05_ ]

>I know you’re checking your phone to make sure Jun is okay. I’m at the booth in the corner. Get over here.  
[ _unlisted number; 12:02:09_ ]

>They won’t hurt you or Jun. I promise.  
[ _unlisted number; 13:39:56_ ]


	4. Chazz's 3rd

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> originally posted to tumblr on Dec 15th, 2013.

He hadn’t slept properly in a few days. He knew it. He could feel it in his arms, in his every breath; could see it in his every movement, could tell that his eyes were tired, lagging, closing for longer with each blink.

"I’m surprised. You really  _have_  gotten stronger, to keep my spirit form stable for so long under such conditions.”

A heaving sigh caught in his throat. If he started sighing now, he’d likely never stop. Jun had mentioned that to him before. Maybe yesterday or the day before. It was hard to remember with everything that had happened the previous night, this morning, and now, walking along with a companion whose only points of conversation carried thinly veiled insults.

"Why did you come, anyway? You’re annoying," he whispered, keeping up some small sense of dignity while walking the streets at midday.

Yubel scoffed, “Well it certainly wasn’t for your sake. Nothing will happen to you now, with the sun up, and you’re  _definitely_  still not at a level where I could be any measure of helpful if something  _did_  happen…”

The spirit at his side trailed off, leaving Chazz to clench his fists further in his pockets and glare at the sidewalk before them. Suits and police held the days, that much was obvious. You could flourish here if you had the money, if your voice held the right inflections, and if you looked the part.

But once night fell, once the swelling storm let the rain finally fall, well… you could flourish here if you had the money. If your voice held the right inflections. If you looked the part.

"I was curious about your abilities," Yubel continued slowly, "and I would rather measure them directly than ask anyone in that deck of yours."

This time Chazz did sigh as he walked inside a general purpose shop. It smelled of mold and old paint, and the harsh lights made him dizzy. Thankfully the pharmacy was toward the entrance, and everything else he needed was on the way there.

"What, they’re not good enough for your high-level ass?" Chazz spat at Yubel before turning back toward the register stiffly.

A harsh laugh resounded in his ears, and he flinched at the sound. The acne-bespeckled kid scanning the barcodes behind the high counter didn’t seem to notice.

"Your deck fears me," Yubel said.

Chazz growled as he paid the associate, all but snatching his plastic bag of rags and hydrogen peroxide out of her sweaty hands.

"You shouldn’t  _provoke me_  when your card is in my pocket,” he hissed through clenched teeth.

Yubel hummed, but said no more. They turned to the streets, to cracked concrete lined with garbage and leaves, and crossed their long arms loosely over their torso. There wasn’t too much to look at in this town, for sure, but there was something interesting in its simplicity. Few people littered the streets at any given moment. All of the shops seemed to be run by one person at a time. The public works were in disrepair, but the shopfronts were picturesque, if not erring on the side of gray and plain.

There was a river that ran through the town, but Yubel avoided thinking about it, at least for now. The fresh air was good for that, even if they couldn’t taste it for themself.

A sudden movement drew their attention back to Chazz. He was breathing a bit heavier now, wasn’t he? His cell phone fell out of his left hand deftly as he stumbled.again.

"You should bring some food with you. Maybe stop and eat something before heading back," Yubel said lowly.

The second sigh was followed by a long pause as Chazz retrieved his cell phone, “Yeah, Haou probably ate everything I had…”

They fell into a strained silence as Chazz walked into a diner on the corner of 10th Street, a small bell ringing as the door opened and closed.


End file.
